The Twilight Zone (2002) Episode Scripts

N/A - Sunrise

Come on, you call that digging? You've been slacking off all day. Dude, these shovels Amber, could you help us? Put down the camera. Come on, please. I'm going to immortalize you. The air is thick with tension as the dig begins. For two days, our intrepid treasure hunters have been trekking through a hellish landscape of towering mountains and bottomless canyons baking in the pitiless sun, throats parched and raw. ! Agua! Baby. And now they're just moments away from winning this year's G.P.S. Internet Treasure Hunt. We are the winners! Yeah! And everybody's pumped about it except for Marty here, who's too busy worrying about his archeology paper due next week. You mean my anthropology paper. My archeology paper isn't due for another two weeks. Please, the camera. Enough. Next break, I got four words for you, baby Snowboarding in Durango. That's three words, baby. Oh, I think I found somethin'! What? Yeah. Hey, man, come here. Come on. Ladies and gentlemen we have a winning team, and it is us. Oh, what'd I tell you?! See? You have to have faith! Ah, preacher's headin' straight for the pulpit. Ohhh Come on. Wait, wait, wait. Wait till I lift. The truth shall set you free! - Steady. - And the winners are I thought the prize was a box of CDs. Oh, baby, these gotta be some golden oldies. Well, according to the website this was only buried, like, a month ago. Let me see that. Guys this is Aztec. Aztec? Oh, you mean like, like Geronimo? Geronimo was an Apache. I'm talkin' Aztecs. You know, from Mexico? Worshipped the sun? Conquered by Cortez? This thing has to be, what sixteenth century? So why is it buried here? I don't know. Some historians claim New Mexico was the northern end of the Aztec Empire. Look at these markings The sun disk band of stars So, wait, wait, wait. So what you're saying is that this isn't part of the treasure hunt? Screw the treasure hunt. We could wind up in "People" magazine. We so could. Dude, you're majoring in tomb raiding right now. You think somethin' like this could sell for a lot on eBay? Maybe there's something valuable inside. Some ancient artifact. Maybe, like, jewels. Right, Marty? There's only one way to find out. Noah, just be careful. Man, if you damage it, you'll bring the price down. Wait. Can you hold on? Hold on. Turn it around. Here. Turn it this way. I'm scared. Be careful. No way. Some old pot? That's it? It's not even gold. It feels heavy. I think there's something inside. Oh, blood. Get out of here. Go on, dip your finger in it. You dip your finger in it, man. I'll do it. Ew. It is blood. Yeah, right. Wait. Wouldn't it have been dried up by now? You would think. Amber. Baby, get a shot of me holding it. Hold on, let me cover the top. Watch out! What's happening? Hey, where's the light? This is really weird. Yeah, no kidding. Five close friends looking for a last good time before graduating college and going their separate ways. But their lighthearted search is about to take a dark turn. For the cave they're exploring isn't an ordinary cave. It's a passageway leading directly into the Twilight Zone. What time is it? It's not even noon yet. Look at that sky. How can it be so dark? Some kind of eclipse? No, you'd see the sun's halo behind the moon. Yeah, then where's the sun? Yeah? I mean, this is creepy. What the hell's going on? I don't know, but is it just me or is it getting colder? Yeah. You're traveling to another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are only that of the imagination. You're entering Once again, there is no definitive explanation for why the sun seems to have disappeared from the sky. Seems to? What do they think, that it's hiding somewhere? Warm weather climates have been especially hard hit as surface temperatures continue to drop at an alarming rate. We have just received a report from Greenland where temperatures have already dropped to record lows of minus ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Minus ninety degrees. The president has called an emergency news conference for 2:00 P.M. Eastern I'm just gonna call home and see if my parents are OK. I already tried. You're not gonna get a signal. Oh, my God. I can't believe this is happening. You know what? This doesn't just happen. The sun does not just disappear from the sky, OK? Even I know that. Look, I'm sure every scientist in the world is studying this thing. Someone is bound to figure it out. I think I already have. We did it. What the hell did we do? I've been studying that box we uncovered. It's definitely Aztec. So? So the Aztecs worshipped the sun. They took that box and they buried it here in this cave. we dug it up. We took out a goblet filled with blood. We spilled it. The second we did, the sun disappeared. That is so whacked! Look, I don't wanna believe it either but what other explanation is there? How about coincidence? Yeah, coincidence. You ever think of that? Yeah, I thought of it, but the evidence You know, what we're gonna do? We're gonna pack up all of our stuff and we're gonna get our asses back to Taos A.S.A.P. That's a thirty-mile hike in the dark. So what, Noah? We've got lanterns. Look, lanterns or not we go scrambling down this mountain someone is gonna break their neck. Well, at least it'll help me forget how cold I am. Well, you better get used to it. It's gonna get a whole lot colder. How much colder? You don't want to know. Yeah, I don't wanna know. Yeah, well, I do. I wanna know what we're in for. Without the sun, in a few days the Earth's atmosphere will evaporate into space and the temperatures are gonna get to be somewhere around 150 degrees below zero. You're saying is we're all gonna freeze to death? Not just us, the entire world. Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better. There's gotta be a way to keep warm. Forget it. If the cold doesn't get us, the thinning air will. So, we either freeze to death or we suffocate? That's our only two choices here? This thing just gets worse by the second. Well there might be one way out. Marty, if you know something, tell us. The pictographs they explain how we can bring the sun back. I don't think you're gonna like it. Tell us what we have to do. Perform a human sacrifice. It's all here. The stabbing the pouring of the blood into the scared cup. And burying it in this cave after Cortez arrived with his conquistadors. Oh, come on, Marty. Stop kidding with us, man. Look at me, Wes? You see me smiling? That cup of blood we spilled it kept the sun up in the sky for the past 500 years. Do you hear yourself? How insane you sound? The ceremony demands a sacrifice, Noah. It demands a life. Well, if it demands a virgin you can count me out. Look, can't we can't we just cut our fingers and then bleed into the cup or something? I mean, who's gonna know the difference? What is the matter with you guys? Can't you see that the dude's joking with you? Marty, tell 'em you're joking, man. Come on. A knife. Oh, my God. All right, joke's over. That's not funny. All right? Marty Marty, you're talking about murder. About killing one of us. Eve, I know what I'm talking about. I know it sounds crazy Crazy is right. You think acting like a dumbass pagan is gonna bring back the sun? It worked for the Aztecs! Yeah, well, before we start carving each other up how about we try something a little less drastic? What are you thinking? Like a little faith for a change. You know it can move mountains. What are you saying, Noah? We just sit around and wait for a miracle? No! Everything happens for a reason. A divine plan. And I'm telling you the plan is not about us killing each other. I don't wanna die. You don't wanna die. Now, none of us wanna die. So let's just stop standing around here doing nothing and let's start doing something. Wes is right. Nobody is gonna kill anyone. And we're not gonna sit around praying for for divine intervention. So, first things first we have to get a fire started. The trail. We passed plenty of wood on the way up. Let's start collecting some. We'll all feel a lot better after our teeth stop chattering. Now, we have blankets, we have water. We have enough food for at least a couple of days. For all we know the sun will be back where it belongs in the morning. Oh, God. That would be so tight. Now, you guys, we're gonna get through this. We just have to stick together. Let's go. Come on. Let's get some wood. Nice speech. Yeah. I just wish I believed it. It's been thirteen hours since the disappearance of the sun and the global death toll continues to rise. In India alone, over 10,000 people have succumbed to sub-freezing temperatures. As government authorities work around the clock to provide blankets and shelter to the poor and homeless who are the most vulnerable. But their efforts are being stymied by wide-scale rioting and looting. We here at the studio wish to extend our heartfelt prayers to our listeners as this crisis unfolds. We promise to stay on the air for as long as we have power and provide any information we can to help you through these uncertain times. This is all my fault, isn't it? I mean, if I hadn't spilled the blood maybe none of this would've happened. And if the temperatures continue to plummet at the current rate scientists predict that life on earth will cease to exist Hey. It's still early, right? Maybe it'll come up. Sunrise was supposed to be twenty-six minutes ago. My grandparents just moved away to Florida to get away from the cold. How's that for a joke? My brother's getting married next month. It's supposed to be a big wedding. We're never gonna see them again, are we? My mom, my sister. For all I know, they're already dead. They're finished. We're all finished. It's over. Really over. It doesn't have to be. Not if what Marty says is true. I mean, we wanna save the world, right? Save our parents? Save each other? Then one of us has to die. No. Martin, this plan is insane, man. Totally and completely insane. You're not really thinking about this, are you? Right now it's the only choice we have. How do we start this? I guess first we have to decide who gets chosen. You mean to be a victim, don't you? Why don't you say what you mean? Count me out, Martin. Nobody's making me a victim. Wes, we are all in this together. No, not me, all right? Not this time! No way! So, what's the procedure? Secret ballot? Show of hands? Huh? Sorry, but this is my first human sacrifice. How did the Aztecs decide? Actually, being chosen was an honor. Sure, no sweat for the Aztecs. They never had to choose one of their best friends. Someone who they went to school with. Roomed with! Noah, what are you saying? This isn't gonna be easy? You don't think I know that? Then why are we even talking about it? I mean, we love each other, right? Even if this works even if we bring back the sun how are we gonna live with ourselves? Look, if we don't do something soon we're not gonna be living at all. I don't want to die. Who does?! I don't know! I don't care! I don't wanna die! If we go through with this we will be committing the ultimate sin. You really believe that? With all my heart. Funny, I thought you believed God sacrificed His only son to save the world. All we're doing is following his example. One life to save billions. That's a sacrifice worth making! Sure, unless that life being sacrificed is yours. Look at it this way, Wes. One out of five odds All right. Maybe they're right. One out of five. Baby, right now, those aren't bad odds. They're bad enough, all right. All right. Son of a bitch. All right! I guess it beats freezing to death, right? OK, fine. You're all so anxious to kill someone Let's see you do it. Noah, be careful. Oh, what's the matter you can't look me in the eyes? Well, maybe if I turn my back Noah, stop! How about you, Eve?! Huh? Here's your big chance. Sacrifice a friend. How's it sound to you, Amber? Huh? Come on, Wes. You wanna live, right? That's what you care about, huh? Isn't it? Back off. - Isn't it?! - Damn it, Noah! Just leave him alone. Don't just stand there. You wanna save your skin? Huh? Then you can - Noah! - Noah! It's OK. Don't try to talk. It's the air. It's thinning, isn't it? It's faster than I thought. We're running out of time. If we're gonna do this we're gonna do it right. A lottery. Short twig loses. Who's gonna go first? Somebody has to choose. I thought we all made up our minds. Marty. Who's next? Oh, my God. You guys aren't really gonna go through with this, are you? I mean, I couldn't do this if I were you. Baby, you're not gonna let them kill me, right? I mean you love me, right? And, Eve, I'm your best friend. Who are you gonna dish to if I'm not around? Somebody say something! What're you all so quiet for? At least let me let me write a note to my mom before so so I can say good-bye. Just at least let me do that, OK? I've got some paper in my pack. I'll just go Well, what were you guys waiting for? Wes, please, don't let them! Help me, Eve! Please, Wes, don't let them! Grab her legs! No, please don't! Please don't kill me! Come on! Please, no! Come on! Please, no! Please, don't kill me! Don't! Help me! Do it, Marty. Please don't kill me! Do it! Please don't! Don't! It's best not to talk while you drink tequila. Oh! It's all right. I can't believe I did nothing. I just stood there and let them kill you. I'm sorry. I don't believe it! It worked. Marty, it worked. It worked! It worked! Oh, my God. Would you look at that? That's beautiful, isn't it? I bet there's people celebrating all over the world. Global panic has given way to widespread jubilation as the sun reappeared in the heaven today. Scientists at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii believe that the unprecedented solar blackout was the result of the Earth passing through an extremely rare low-temperature plasma field. What's he talking about? It wasn't any plasma field. We did this, right? The existence of such a phenomenon has long been theorized I knew it! We killed Amber for nothing. No, we killed Amber for We made the sun disappear and we brought it back. That's right. Marty's right. No, Marty's right. We did what had to be done. We just did what had to be done didn't we, Eve? Didn't we? Marty. The sun has returned and the grateful world is warm again but for these four survivors a bitter chill remains. Haunted by uncertainty they can find no peace of mind no escape from the shadows of doubt no light to guide them out of the murky depths of the Twilight Zone.